Bringing Greenery Indoors

By Shweta Kulkarni, 24 Jul, 2018

How to build a mini garden inside your home

Growing plants and maintaining a garden on a patio, veranda, balcony, porch, backyard or deck is nothing unusual. However, building an indoor mini garden is quite a task at hand but if done right it can not only add a zest of freshness to your interiors but also help elevate your mood and keep the air in your home clean.

Right from exotic flowers to herbs and vegetables, there’s a variety of plants that you can choose from for your indoor garden. Another plus is that they can be planted anywhere in your home, be it the living room, kitchen or even the bedroom, with some basic know-how. We have put together a few basic tricks and tips that will help you build a lush green garden within the four walls of your apartment. Take a look...

Select the Ideal Spot

The key to creating an indoor garden is to select a spot that is optimal for the growth of your plants. Opt for a spot that gets plenty of natural light. Try to place your planters near a window to ensure that they are getting enough sunlight. An empty sunny wall is ideal for building a vertical garden in any part of your home. The space between two windows is also a good location. Often a vertical garden can be used as a beautiful room divider.

There are many stylish modular planting systems available in the market which are easy to assemble and maintain. One can even go for the latest trend in indoor gardening – tabletop garden. Whatever space you choose, just ensure that the temperature in that spot is not too cold as it can kill your plants. In case natural sunlight is not readily available, you can consider growing your greens under the exposure of T5 fluorescent bulbs, which are not only cost-effective but also give good results. Plants with low to medium light requirement easily flourish under these tube-like bulbs. For example, these lights are perfect for African violets or even a lot of indoor herbs.

Control the Temperature

One of the most challenging parts of growing an indoor garden in your home is to maintain the right soil temperature for your green friends. A majority of plants need the soil temperature to be between 75-85 F. This can be kept in check by using soil heat electric mats which heat the pots from the bottom and regulate the soil temperatures.

Choose the Right Plants

When you set about to build an indoor garden, it is essential to know that the plants that you can easily grow outside are not necessarily ideal for your in-house green wonder. But you needn’t worry; there are several varieties of plants that are only meant for indoors. Right from flowering houseplants to attractive foliage and herbs, the range for indoor plants is indeed immense. One can even grow vegetables like peas, mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, and herbs like basil, chives, oregano indoors. If you love cactus plants, there is a plethora of option for that as well like Gymnocalycium, Moon Cactus, Euphorbia ingens, and many others. These spiny plants are sure to add a lot of character to your interior décor. However, just make sure that whichever plant you decide to pick up is healthy and without any dead or yellowing leaves. Also look carefully for any visible signs of insects or diseases. A little homework on the Internet should help you make the right choice.

Select Interesting Planters

Depending on the spot and the type of garden you decide to build, there is a lot you can do concerning planters. One option is to go for the traditional pots used for plants or to go berserk with your creativity. Old vintage teacups can easily be used for growing herbs or low maintenance succulents; even mason jars make for good planters. Cola bottles and cans are also good options to just start with seeds. Check online and you will find several cost-effective DIY for planters. Ensure that you drill tiny holes into your containers to allow drainage and line the bottom of the planter with few small rocks and pebbles for extra drainage.